FEATURED BOOK: Whispers from the Dead, by Joan Lowery Nixon

Today's featured book, Whispers From The Dead, by Joan Lowery Nixon, can be found on the Island of Misfit Books display.

Sarah isn't the same after her near-death experience. There seems to be a shadowy presence trailing her every step. And when her family moves into a new home, the truly creepy stuff starts: Screams and pleas for help only Sarah can hear, nightmares, grisly ghostly sightings of a young woman being dragged across the floor by a man carrying a knife... This sort of thing would send the average teen straight to a padded cell in the local asylum, but not Sarah. Instead, she investigates...and helps crack an the disappearance and unsolved murder of Rosa, a young immigrant girl who had been working at the house before she and her family moved in. Whodunit? You'll have to read the book to find out.

Originally published in the early 1990s, Whispers From The Dead is, if anything, a bit dated. For example, Sarah doesn't just open her laptop and jump on the internet to look for clues to Rosa's murder. There are no smart phones or MP3 players. And any pop culture references would likely be unrecognizable to teens of today. That said, today's teens might find it difficult to relate to Sarah. 

Aside from that, Whispers From The Dead is a solid murder mystery with a strong female lead. There's a bit of light romance, but for the most part situations remain pretty innocent and appropriate for younger teen readers. 

And the big reveal will give you chills. --AJB